Barrier for ferryboats



Nov.. 17, 19251 '1,561,731 J. H. MEYER BARRIER FOR FERRYBOATS v med lay 22. 192 x n N f V Q l Q l\% n f1 N. [V [V f ,l il

l* gain s $2 Q Q z;

INVENTQR'` .JffMeg/er www Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES JOHN H. MEYER, OF UNION HILL, NEW `TlilltSEY.

BARRIER FOR FERRYBOATS.

Application filed May 22,1922. Serial No. 562,630.

To all whom, t may concer/11,

Be it known that I, Jol-1N H. MEYER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Union Hill, in the county` of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inv Barriers for Ferryboats, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Among the principal objects which the present invention has in view are: To arrest theprogress of vehicles within certain bounds; to provide a barrier for preventing the travel of vehicles beyondsaid barrier; to avoid destruction or damage to the barrier; and to simplify and clieapen the construction.

Drawings.

Figure 1 is a plan view showing fragments of the guard rails of a ferry boat of usual construction having mounted thereon a barrier constructed and arranged in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the 17 same, the section being taken on the line 2 2 in F lgure 1.

Description.

The present invention is especially designed to prevent the recurrence of' acc1- dents incident to automobiles and similar vehicles getting out of control and breaking through the frail barriers now provided and over-running the end of the ferry boat. The usual construction of ferry boats now provides a guard chain which 1s swung across the roadway of the ferry boat between stanchions or pillars erected on the rails 7. The chain is usually anchored permanently to one end of said pillars, while the opposite end is detachably attached to the opposite pillar. When heavy vehicles strike the guard chain, the weight is suiiicient to break the chain or loosen the attachment thereof to the said pillars. The breakage is due in large measure to the rigidity of the chain and the atttachinents thereof to the said pillars.

It will be appreciated that the inertia. of the heavy car multiplies the propulsive force thereof, with the result indicated.

In the present invention these defects of construction are avoided by substituting for the usual wood pillar, the hollow metal pillar 8.

As shown best in Fig. 2 of the drawings the pillars 8 have each, wide spreading base plates 9 that rest firmly on the rails 7 and are perforated to receive dctent1 bolts 10 and 11.

The bolts 11 are inserted through perforations in the pendent flange 12 at the side of the rails 7. To reinforce the pillars 8 for resisting the pulling strain on the chain 13, each pillar is provided with a buttress web 14. The web 14 and cylinder 8 are integrally constructed. As shown best in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the web 14 is extended slightly forward to approximate the line formed by the chain 13 when the same is stretched forward at the middle when resisting the pressure on the chain imposed by` a vehicle, when moving in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig'. 1.

The pillars 8 are preferably open-ended at both ends. The upper end is closed by a metal cap 15. The cap 15 has a reduced sec-` tion 16 adapted to extend into the interior of the pillar 8 to be there held by screws Each cap is provided with a channel 18. The channel 18 is curved, as best seen in Fig. 2, and is adapted to forni a passage-way forthe chain 13 and the anchor section 19. The anchor section 19 is made fast to the lug 2O of a disk 21. The opposite end of the anchor section is provided with an enlarged link 22, the dimension of which is suiiiciently great to prevent it entering the channel 18 with which the anchor section 19 is associated.

To engage the link 22, the chain 13 has a hook 23 at the free end, while the opposite end of the said chain is fixedly secured to the lug 20 of a disk 21. The disks 21 and lugs 20 in both pillars 8 are identical and are employed to support heavy bu'er coinpression springs 24. The upper ends of the springs 24 rest under the heads 15, while the lower ends are supported as indicated above by the disks 21.

`When functioning in the usual manner, the chains 13 are drawn across the driveways of the ferry boat between the rails 7 the hooks 23 being engaged with the links 22. When now a vehicle out of control strikes upon the chain 13, the springs 24 yield to permit the disks 21 to travel upward in the pillars 8 thereby avoiding the cracking or breaking incident to rigid resistance of the weight and inertia'of the vehicle, when imposed suddenly on the chain.

It is obvious that as the springs 9A are compressed, the resistance of the chain 13 is increased, thereby gradually reducing` the speed and movement of the vehicle until when the springs 2a are completely compressed the chain 13 becomes tautand the vehicle is finally arrested.

It is obvious that the chain 23 and parts connected therewith inclusive of the springs :2,11 may be readily repaired or replaced, all that is necessary being that the heads 15 shall be removed from the pillars 8 when the said disks 21 and chain sections connected therewith may be removed from the said pillars.

It is obvious that while have herein described the employment of the chain 13 as a barrier other forms of barriers may be employed, the ends whereof are operatively connected with the springs 2a'- so that when severe or unaccustomed breaking strains are imposed on the barrier, the same will be permitted to yield thereto while exerting an increasing resistance to the strain.

Claims:

1. A device of the character described comprising a hollow cylindrical stanchion, a flared base plate integral with the bottom of said stanchion, a butt-rese web formed integral with said stanchion and base plate and extending from the top of said stanchion to said base plate, a cap piece adapted to be rigidly mounted in the top of' said stanchion and having a guide passage therethrough, a block disposed for vertical movement in said stanchion, flexible barrier chains connected to said block and extending through said guide passages, and a. compression spring` disposed within said stanchion between said block and cap piece.

2. A device of' the character described comprising a hollow cylindrical stanchion, having` a downwardly and outwardly fiared base plate, a cap piece bolted over" the top of' said stanchion and havingl an aperture extending therethrough and communieatingv with the interior of said stanchion, a block disposed within said stanchion for vertical movement, a flexible barrier chain extending through said cap piece aperture and connected with said block, a compression spring` disposed between said block and cap piece within said stanchion, and a buttress web er;- tending between said stanchion and base plate in the line of strain of said flexible barrier chain.

JOHN H ,A MEYER. 

